The Poor Man's Meal was fried potatoes with diced hot dogs and onions. The lucky ones added tomato sauce. People with little to no income enjoyed this affordable, filling supper.
The US sells three billion pizzas annually, more than any other nation. Why is the figure so high? Sauce, cheese, and delectable toppings are available.
Considering what Americans ate during the Great Depression, need breeds innovation. Interestingly, peanut butter and pickle sandwiches were affordable lunch counter staples.
Families in Hooverville's shanty towns (poor neighborhoods on the outside) loved "Hoover Stew." President Herbert Hoover inspired the Hoover Stew, an early macaroni and hot dog dish.
During the Great Depression, “Creamed Chip Beef on Toast,” or SOS, was a cheap protein to-go. It was served to the US Army in the late 1800s before entering American kitchens during the Depression.
No waste was used to make this dish. Instead, macaroni salad, home fries, baked beans, sausage or cheeseburger, beef chili, white onions, mustard, and ketchup or spicy sauce were mixed together.
People subsisted on "Cabbage and Dumplings." Not pretty, but full and tasty: cabbage and onions sauteed in a cast iron skillet with handmade egg and flour dumplings.
Since they were long-lasting, loaves were popular during the Great Depression. When ingredients were few, bakers and homemakers had to adapt.
People relied on the land when fresh food was expensive. Recipes like “Dandelion Salad,” made with lemon juice, olive oil, and salt, used edible plants like dandelions.
Peanut Butter-Stuffed Onions were advised by the Bureau of Home Economics to improve the economy during the Great Depression.